The weekend series: Tech continues its 121st season of baseball by heading to Chapel Hill, N.C. to face the Tar Heels in a critical ACC series for both teams. The Hokies currently sit outside the ACC’s top 10 (those that qualify for the ACC postseason) tied with NC State at 11th, while North Carolina is currently eighth.

Tech is 23-64-2 all-time against the Tar Heels and 12-34-2 in Chapel Hill, but has not beaten them since a 2007 game in Blacksburg (Sat., March 24). Ironically, current Tech pitching coach Robert Woodard was in the UNC dugout during that game. He had gone seven frames and struck out seven in the Tar Heels’ 15-4 win the night before.

Heading back to the Tar Heel state: During the 2013 season, Tech played a total of 32 games away from Blacksburg and of those, 20 were in the state of North Carolina, as the team got used to the I-81 to I-77 road trip. After compiling a 14-6 mark last year in the state, the Hokies might enjoy this weekend, as this series will mark the first games the team will play in the Tar Heel state in 2014 - their season-opening weekend in a Charlotte tournament was cancelled due to snow. However, the last time Tech played in the state, they lost the 2013 ACC Baseball Championship game to the Tar Heels.

Zagunis’ career numbers climbing: Entering the weekend, junior Mark Zagunis has compiled 196 career hits, four shy of becoming just the seventh Hokie to reach the 200-hit milestone as a junior. The last Tech player to reach 200 before his senior year was Ronnie Shaban, who notched career hit No. 200 on May 19, 2011.

Also, entering the week, Zagunis ranked in the top five in the ACC in seven career categories (among active players - min. 250 ABs). Those categories include second in hits per game and batting average, third in stolen bases, fourth in slugging and runs per game, and fifth in runs an RBIs per game.